What You Left Behind
by Sixty Five Roses
Summary: Jack is saying goodbye to his family, only moments before he leaves for his first rehab.


He bent down and picked sobbing Emily in his arms, kissing the crown of her head. She wrapped her small arms around his neck and held on to him so tightly that he felt a little choked. He looked at Sharon helplessly. Her gaze was sad and tearful, but her stature was straight and strong. She sighed deeply before helping him unwind Emily's arms from around him.

"Daddy, don't go," Emily whined.

"Daddy will only be gone for a little while, sweetie," her voice was soft as she spoke to her three years old daughter. "He'll come back once he's doing better, okay?" A faint mewl came out of Emily's mouth and slowly grew louder. Sharon wrapped her arms around Emily's small body and rocked her from side to side.

"Will you be alright, Sharon?" he asked, his voice holding genuine concern.

"Yes, we'll be fine," Sharon nodded, her voice choked. Jack took a step towards her and placed his palm over her round belly. They already knew it was a boy and have decided on a name. He knew he would miss the birth, but Sharon insisted that his recovery was more important than his presence in the delivery room. She preferred him to focus on his sobriety rather than having him holding her hand throughout the childbirth, knowing that he would go into the nearest bar to celebrate the moment it was over.

"Are you sure?" he asked and looked into her eyes, trying to trace any sign of weakness, a sign that he will use as an excuse to stay. She nodded firmly. "I love you, Sharon."

"I love you too," she whispered. He leaned forward and captured her lips between his.

"I promise I'll be better, for you and for Emily and for little Richard," he said. "And when I'm out of rehab, I'll make it all up to you, to all of you, okay?" he asked. Sharon nodded tearfully, swallowing hard. "It will be okay, honey. We will be okay." Once again Sharon nodded, feeling the tears crossing the threshold of her eyelashes and rolling lazily down her face. Jack cupped her face in his palms and wiped them with his thumbs. "You'll let me know as soon as the little one is out of the oven, right?"

"I'll try to bring him over if I can," Sharon sighed. She only had 2 weeks until her due date.

"Bring Emily too, okay?" he asked.

"We'll see about that," she replied and threw a look out of the window. "Your cab is here." Jack bent to press another soft kiss to her lips again and then stroked Emily's hair, resting his palm on her back for a moment before he bent down and pressed a long kiss to Sharon's stomach.

"I can't wait to meet you, Richard," he spoke to the child inside and Sharon could feel the baby moving inside her, kicking painfully in response to his father's voice. She held her breath, trying to hide the turbulence inside her from Emily and Jack. She needed to be strong and dependable, for the both of them. That would be the only way for them to survive this, she kept telling herself. "Goodbye, Emily," he then said, and the words made her start sobbing against Sharon's chest. He lifted his duffle bag and opened the door.

"Good luck, Jack," Sharon wished him before he stepped out of their house; a house they could no longer afford due to his addiction. He hoped he'll be a long way from home when Sharon finds that out. "See you in 30 days," she smiled at him as she stood at the door and watched him enter the cab.

"We're going to Jenkins rehab center, right?" the driver asked as Jack settled in the back seat of the beat up vehicle.

"Change of plans; we're going to LAX," he replied. He wished he had the guts to tell Sharon to her face that he was leaving her, but the best he could do was write a letter and put it inside the bag she packed for the hospital. By the time she finds it, he knew, he'll already be in Las Vegas.

He smiled widely as he waved out of the window to his wife and daughter. They waved back, the both of them. The last thing he saw before the cab rounded the corner was Sharon's proud smile and Emily blowing him a kiss.


End file.
